Title bar

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In computing, the title bar (or titlebar) consists of that part of a window where the title of the window appears.
Most graphical operating systems and window managers position the title bar at the top of
the application window as a horizontal bar.
Default title-bar text often incorporates the name of the application and/or of its manufacturer. The name of the
host running the application also appears frequently. Various methods (menu-selections, escape sequences,
setup parameters, command-line options depending on the computing environment) may exist to give
the end-user some control of title-bar text. Most web browsers will render the contents of the title HTML
element in their title bar, often pre- or postfixed by the application name. Google Chrome places its tabs in the
title bar, so it is not necessary to use the main window for the tabs.
The title bar often contains icons for system commands relating to the window, such as
a maximize, minimize, rollup and close buttons; and may include other content such as an application icon,
a clock, etc.
In many graphical user interfaces, including the Mac OS and Microsoft Windows interfaces, the user may move
a window by grabbing the title bar and dragging.

Title bar from Calculator in GNOME on Ubuntu.

Contents
[hide]

1 Types of titlebar
o

1.1 Useless titlebars

1.2 Titlebar buttons

1.3 Titlebar icon

1.4 Document status icon

2 List of OS specific window managers and the types of titlebar they use
3 List of X window managers and the types of titlebar that they use
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit]Types

of titlebar

Typically titlebars can be used to provide window motion enabling the window to be moved around the screen
by using a drag action.

[edit]Useless

titlebars

Some window managers provide useless titlebars which are purely for decorative purposes and offer
no window motion facility. These window managers do not allow windows to be moved around the screen by
using a drag action on the titlebar.

[edit]Titlebar

buttons

Some window managers provide titlebar buttons which provide the facility to minimize, maximize, roll-up or
close application windows. Some window managers may display the titlebar buttons in the taskbar or
taskpanel, rather than in the titlebars.
The following buttons may appear in the titlebar:

close

maximize

minimize

resize

roll-up

Note that a context menu may be available from some titlebar buttons or by right-clicking.

[edit]Titlebar

icon

Some window managers display a small icon in the titlebar that may vary according to the application on which
it appears. The titlebar icon may behave like a menu button, or may provide a context menu facility.

[edit]Document

status icon

Some window managers display an icon or symbol to indicate that the contents of the window have not been
saved or confirmed in some way: Mac OS X changes its close icon from an X to a dot; RISC OS appends
an asterisk to the title.

[edit]List

of OS specific window managers and the types of titlebar they

use
OS

icon back close maximize menu meta minimize resize roll-up status context menu

Mac OS X

RISC OS

Windows

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Notes

Icon is context menu

A menu bar is a region of a screen or application interface where drop down menus are displayed. The
menu bar's purpose is to supply a common housing for window- orapplication-specific menus which
provide access to such functions as opening files, interacting with an application, or displaying help
documentation or manuals. Menu bars are typically present in graphical user interfaces that display
documents and representations of files in windows and windowing systems but menus can be used as
well in command line interface programs like text editors or filemanagers where drop-down menu is
activated with shortcut key or combination.